Raspberry Fluff Jello Salad

This light and fluffy raspberry fluff is the jello salad that everyone loves! Made with just 6 ingredients (including water), it’s the make-ahead dessert that is perfect for summer bbq’s and potlucks!

Raspberry fluff jello salad is a classic summer dessert here in the Midwest, and one that is completely customizable! As a natural make-ahead dessert, it’s cool and creamy texture is a favorite for both kids an adults!

I keep trying to get in the warm weather spirit and the weather here just keeps letting me down lol. Here in Ohio we had near 70 degree temperatures the other day, then snow the next day. I still have no idea how to dress the kids for school!

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One thing I can always get in the mood for is a good old-fashioned jello salad. Have you had one before? There’s nothing “salad”-y about them, but they’re SO good!

This raspberry fluff is a nod to my family… since my mother makes something similar with pineapple (different ingredients, but also called fluff), and my mother in law makes something similar with all kinds of fruit. This jello salad is a lot like the one she makes, but I’m not sure if it’s exact or not.

WHAT IS JELLO SALAD

It’s confusing because with a name like “salad”, you wouldn’t think it would be a dessert right? Also a lot of people think of jello salad as the ring of colorful jiggly jello that is made in a mold. Around here that’s referred to as a jello mold, and doesn’t have the same ingredients as jello salad. This type of fluff/jello salad is made with jello, pudding, tapioca, fruit and cool whip.

HOW DO YOU MAKE JELLO SALAD

It’s a natural make-ahead recipe, so the night before you want to serve it, bring some water to a boil. Turn off the heat, then stir in one small box each (3 oz size) of vanilla pudding, tapioca, and raspberry jello. Whisk until it thickens, then pour into a container to chill overnight. Before serving, stir in fruit and cool whip and keep chilled until ready to eat.

CAN I MAKE JELLO SALAD WITH OTHER FRUIT FLAVORS

Absolutely!! I chose raspberry because it’s my son’s favorite fruit, but you could do this with just about any fruit you’d like. Just make sure to match the jello flavor with the fruit… so strawberry jello and strawberries, orange jello with mandarin oranges, etc.

WHAT ABOUT JELLO SALAD WITH COTTAGE CHEESE

That’s another great variation! The great part about using cottage cheese is that the recipe doesn’t need to be made the night before, so it’s perfect for when you are in a time crunch. Here’s how you make it:

16 oz container of small curd cottage cheese

3 oz box of raspberry jello

1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries

8 oz container of cool whip

Mix together the cottage cheese and jello, then stir in raspberries. Gently fold in the cool whip… if you whip it and stir it too vigorously, all the lovely cloud-like texture will be gone and you’ll end up with a soupy dessert. Chill about an hour.

Whatever part of the country or world you’re in, if you make something similar, let me know in the comments! I’d love to see how wide-spread this jello salad dessert is.

Even if it sounds totally weird to you, you should give it a try. The cloud-like texture is absolutely mouthwatering!

I’m making this for a brunch in the park with moms from church. I used peach gelatine as I only have canned peaches or pears as my fruit. Great way to use up all the jello and pudding mixes I have! This might be my new contribution to church potluck!

Hi Adele 🙂 I’ve never tried, but I would say that it’d be a pretty loose frosting. For a stiffer consistency you could use a little less whipped topping and chill it for several house after folding it all together.

My Granma used to make this but with Orange jello and Mandarin oranges. My mom makes it in all flavors ❤️

Hello There!

I'm Amanda... a wife, mother of two rambunctious kiddos, photography nerd, and bacon lover! I believe that gourmet meals should be something we can ALL enjoy. Now that you're here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let's get cookin'!